30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

Season 1 of the hugely successful BBC radio series about the natural world and the awesome ways it has inspired us.Over billions of years, animals have evolved and adapted, learning through trial and error the best strategies for surviving and thriving. So who better to help us humans when it comes to solving our own challenges? In this fascinating series, biologist and wildlife filmmaker Patrick Aryee tells the incredible stories of some remarkable animals, and the surprising ways they have enabled us to make technological and scientific breakthroughs. From the kingfisher whose beak led to a redesign of the bullet train, to the spider's web that may help us detect the earth's vibrations and turn them into electricity, the animals in these 30 episodes all have extraordinary abilities that could revolutionise our world. There's the bloodsucking mosquito whose mouthparts might hold the key to a future of painless injections; the woodpecker whose hard head has given us ideas for better bicycle helmets and black box recorders; the shark whose scaly skin could show us how to fight superbugs, the tenacious mussel that could make risky foetal surgery safer and save lives - and many more. And in the final, live show, we dig deeper into the world of biomimicry, and hear from listeners about other creatures who could spark innovation - including scorpions, tarantulas and hibernating bears...Full of brilliant, bingeable tales and astonishing revelations, this mind-blowing natural history series will thrill animal lovers, science fans and anyone who's curious about our wonderful natural world.Production creditsPresented by Patrick AryeeSeries producer: Sarah BluntProduced by Amelia ButterlyLive show produced by Mark WardSeries and live show editor: James CookMusic and sound design by Dan PollardSound recordist: Chris WatsonFirst broadcast on the BBC World Service on the following dates:Track ListKingfisher and bullet train 25 March 2019Octopus and camouflage 1 April 2019Mosquito and surgical needle 8 April 2019Woodpecker and black box 15 April 2019Bat and visual aid 22 April 2019Tardigrade and vaccine transport 29 April 2019Firefly and lightbulb 6 May 2019Mussel and plywood 13 May 2019Termite and ventilation system 20 May 2019Cod and antifreeze 27 May 2019Desert spider and Mars robot 3 June 2019Sea otter and wetsuit 10 June 2019Stenocara beetle and water collector 17 June 2019Albatross and drone 24 June 2019Shark and hospital surfaces 1 July 2019Spider and rescue robot 8 July 2019Gecko and adhesives 15 July 2019Whale and wind turbine 22 July 2019Spider and window glass 29 July 2019Bat and unassisted flight 5 August 2019Bombardier beetle and fuel injection 12 August 2019Fish schools and windfarm 19 August 2019Bat and robot 26 August 2019Dolphin and tsunami detector 2 September 2019Butterfly and butterfly house 9 September 2019Mussel and foetal surgery 16 September 2019Ant and networks 23 September 2019Peacock and computer screen 30 September 2019Butterfly and paints 7 October 2019Spider and remote sensing 14 October 201930 Animals LIVE 21 October 2019©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Did you know that mosquitoes' mouthparts are helping to develop pain-free surgical needles? Who'd have thought that the humble mussel could inspire so many useful things, from plywood production to a 'glue' that cements the crowns on teeth and saves unborn babies in the womb? How about the fact that studying the tiny kingfisher solved engineering problems with Japan's ultra-high-speed bullet train, or that the humpback whale's flipper helped design the most efficient blades for wind power turbines? For many years, humans have been using the natural world as inspiration for everything from fashion to architecture, and medicine to transport, and it may come as a surprise to learn how many inventions have been motivated by animal design and behaviour. Dive into the depths with us as author Patrick Aryee reveals even more astonishing stories about animals' exceptional powers and the unique contributions they've made to the quality of our everyday lives. Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations accompany his revelations and bring the natural world to life.